Cotton output up 11pc to 10.535mln bales

MULTAN: Cotton production increased 11.19 percent to 10.535 million bales till January 15, a report said on Wednesday.

Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), in its fortnightly report, said seed cotton (phutti), equivalent to 10.535 million bales, reached ginneries across the country.

Of the total arrivals, phutti equivalent to 10.4 million bales has undergone the ginning process.

The arrivals at Punjab ginneries were recorded at 6.76 million bales, up 17.81 percent over the last year. Arrivals at ginneries in Sindh inched up 1.01 percent to 3.77 million bales.

PCGA said textile mills bought 9.23 million bales, while exporters acquired 199,844 bales.

Total sold-out bales were calculated at 9.43 million bales.

The association said exactly 1.097 million bales were available with the ginneries as the unsold inventory.

It further said there are 21 cotton-producing districts in the Punjab; of them, 10 districts recorded reduction in cotton arrivals, while others registered upward trend.

Of 12 cotton-producing districts in Sindh, half recorded increase and other half decrease.

District Sanghar of Sindh continued to remain on top of the list despite 7.8 percent reduction in production.

Cotton arrival in Sanghar was recorded at more than 1.2 million bales as of January 15, while district Rahimyar Khan of Punjab was on the second position with more than 1.1 million bales.